Introduced with the Telecommunications Legislation Amendment (Competition and Consumer) Bill 2017, the bill establishes an ongoing funding arrangement for fixed wireless and satellite infrastructure (the Regional Broadband Scheme) by imposing a monthly charge on carriers, including NBN Co Ltd, in relation to each premises connected to their network that has an active fixed-line superfast broadband service during the month.

to: remove regulation of networks servicing small business customers; enable new superfast networks to operate on a functionally separated basis with the approval of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC); enable the ACCC to exempt small start-up networks from separation regulation; provide that all services supplied on networks that are wholesale-only or functionally separated will be subject to clear non-discrimination obligations; amend the enforcement regime, including conferring additional powers on the ACCC; and introduce a statutory infrastructure provider regime; Carrier Licence Conditions (Networks supplying Superfast Carriage Services to Residential Customers) Declaration 2014 and Legislation (Exemptions and Other Matters) Regulation 2015 in relation to sunsetting arrangements;

Introduced with the Migration Amendment (Regulation of Migration Agents) Bill 2017, the bill amends the

Migration Agents Registration Application Charge Act 1997

to ensure that a migration agent who paid the non-commercial registration application charge in relation to their current period of registration, but gives immigration assistance otherwise than on a non-commercial basis, is liable to pay an adjusted charge.

to: remove legal practitioners from regulation by the Migration Agents Registration Authority (MARA); provide that the time period in which a person can be considered an applicant for repeat registration as a migration agent is set out in delegated legislation; remove the 12-month time limit within which a person must apply for registration following completion of a prescribed course; remove redundant regulatory provisions; enable the MARA to refuse an application to become a registered migration agent where the applicant does not respond to requests for further information; require migration agents to notify the MARA that they have ceased acting on a non-commercial basis and commenced acting on a commercial basis; ensure that the definitions of ‘immigration assistance’ and ‘immigration representations’ include assisting a person in relation to a request to the minister to revoke a character-related visa refusal or cancellation decision.

to preserve section 501 character decisions made relying on information provided by gazetted law enforcement and intelligence agencies, which is protected, or purportedly protected, from disclosure under section 503A.

to: restrict access to the relocation scholarship to students relocating within Australia and students studying in Australia; align pensioner education supplement fortnightly rates with the amount of study undertaken by eligible students; and provide that payments of the pensioner education supplement cease during semester breaks and holiday periods; and

Social Security Act 1991

and

Veterans’ Entitlements Act 1986

to align education entry payment rates with the amount of study undertaken by eligible students.

to: amend the residency requirements for the age pension and the disability support pension by changing certain timeframes which need to be met before claims will be deemed payable to eligible recipients; and increase the maximum liquid assets waiting period for youth allowance, austudy, newstart allowance and sick allowance from 13 weeks to 26 weeks;

Social Security Act 1991

and

Veterans’ Entitlements Act 1986

to cease payment of the pension supplement after six weeks temporary absence overseas and immediately for permanent departures; and

A New Tax System (Family Assistance) Act 1999

to align the income test taper rates so that all income above the higher income free area is treated equally when calculating an individual’s rate of family tax benefit Part A.